Nationals 3 - 2 Marlins
Final
  for this game

Span helps Nats edge Fish

Sep 21, 2014 - 6:33 AM Miami, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Denard Span hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh inning and the Washington Nationals edged the Miami Marlins, 3-2, in the third test of a four-game set.

The Marlins led 2-0 before the Nationals pushed across three runs in the seventh.

Ian Desmond singled to lead off the frame and Ryan Zimmerman followed by ripping a triple past a diving Reed Johnson in right. Zimmerman was thrown out at home on Wilson Ramos' bouncer to Casey McGehee at third.

"Pretty good," Nationals manager Matt Williams said of Zimmerman. "I didn't want to push it."

Asdrubal Cabrera laced a hanging curveball down the right-field line to plate Ramos. Mike Dunn replaced Jarred Cosart on the hill and got pinch-hitter Bryce Harper to ground out. Span followed with a single to right to bring home Cabrera and give Washington a 3-2 edge.

Miami put runners on the corners with one out in the ninth, but Drew Storen induced a game-ending 4-6-3 double play from pinch-hitter Garrett Jones to register his ninth save of the season.

Zimmerman was 2-for-3 in his first game off the disabled list. He missed 55 games after suffering a torn hamstring on July 22.

Span finished 2-for-4, Desmond was 2-for-3 and Jayson Werth posted three hits for the Nationals, who have won seven of their last eight games and lead the Dodgers by 2 1/2 games for home-field advantage in the National League.

Jordan Zimmermann (13-5) extended his unbeaten streak to 12 starts, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on five hits over six innings to record the win. Washington is 11-1 during that span, winning in each of his last 10 starts.

Cosart (4-3) surrendered three runs on nine hits and two walks over 6 1/3 frames for Miami, which has dropped the first three games of the series.

"He made some great pitches," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said of Cosart. "He's done a nice job."

The Marlins opened the scoring in the first with Justin Bour's RBI single and Johnson doubled and scored on two Washington errors in the fourth.

Johnson whacked a 1-1 pitch off the wall in dead center, moved to third when Span's throw went over the head of the cutoff man and rolled past Zimmermann and scored when the pitcher bounced his throw to third.

Game Notes

Washington was 1-for-9 with runners on scoring position and left seven men on base, while Miami finished 1-for-4 with RISP ... Cosart was 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA in eight starts coming in since being traded to Miami.






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